I’ve never set foot on such a luxurious yacht, says Dr M

KLANG: Fresh from his visit to superyacht Equanimity, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he has never set foot on such a luxurious vessel before.

“I have been on yachts before, but never one as luxurious as this. Everything was superb.

“Whatever you can imagine, was there,” he told reporters at a press conference after visiting the yacht today.

He said the facilities on board the RM1 billion vessel included a gymnasium and sauna room.

“There was even a lift to go to the top level, which is good for senior citizens like myself,” he quipped.

“The rooms are fantastic, especially the master bedroom which has a real skylight. You can lie in bed and look up at the sky, and if it’s too hot you can close it.

The Equanimity, which has been held at the Boustead Cruise Centre in Port Klang since its arrival in Malaysian waters on Tuesday, is at the centre of US investigations into state investment firm 1MDB.

It has been linked to businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, and is believed to have been acquired with funds allegedly plundered from 1MDB.

Indonesian police seized the yacht at the request of the US authorities and handed it over to Malaysia after a recent visit by Mahathir to the country.

Mahathir said the government had no specific timeline for any party to lay claim to the yacht.

“Anyone is welcome to come forward and claim the vessel,” he added.

“If no one comes forward, we will sell it as soon as possible as the cost of maintaining it is RM2 million a month.”

When asked if there were any parties interested in bidding for the yacht, Mahathir said it was “not really on auction”.

“If you want to make a bid, you are welcome to do so. I also offered to buy it at my price, but of course they said no,” he joked.

He added that the public would not be allowed to personally view the Equanimity as the authorities had to keep it in good condition in order to sell it. However, a few photos of the interior would be released to the public.

When asked about the vessel’s crew members, the prime minister said there were presently 18 of the original 35 on the yacht.

“We talked to them. I don’t think they are going to take legal action against us. The only person wanting to take legal action is probably Jho Low.”